Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-14

Dor, but time will not permit il now.
The oneness of capital and labor may
be illustrated by few figures.
You Bankers Association and the
whole OF the banking organization of
this country represent total value OF
1000 millions, including capital, surplus
and deposits of 5000 banks, and you are
called capitalists.
Yet let us look at the wsge-esrners-
the class who insist upon beng called,
par excellence, laborerS, to the exclusion
of every other class. If the 10000, 600
wage-earners in our country earn 81 5G
day for the 313 working days in year,
they become owners during the year OF
nine billions four hundred million dol
lars, and it is idle to say that the owners
Of that imu ense sum sre not capitalists.
We grant they are laborers and we have
proved the identity of the laborer and
capitalist.
There may be in our country 10000, 600
bank presidents, cashiers, tellers, clerks;
railroad presidents, officers and clerks;
insurance presidents, officers and clerks;
merchants, clergymen, lawyers and doc
tors; teachers, students and artists.
Those men work from eight TO fourteen
hours OF day, and it is idle to say they
are not labOrers because they organize
and direct u.Ler labor in co-operauon
wi 4, or subordinsticn to, their own Ia
DOR. The labor theorists say such men
are capitalists, and this shows the iden-
tity Of the capitalist and laborer. 1t is
impossible for any man TO live without
beng both laborer and capitalist.
Statisticians have shown that it is pos
sible for a wage-earner to save 80 per
cent. OF his income, and put 1t Gccumu-
lating ae surplus or capital, and that 1t Is
possible & = the employer to make ano
put TO accommodating, not more than from
to 20 per cent. upon the amount he pays
the Wage-earner. What the employer
thus saves is not deducted from the wage,
Garner, but is added and collected with,
the value from the purchaser or con-
sumner The unity of labor and capitals
thus shown, by the fact that the ratio OF
conversion OF labor into surplus Is greater
the nearer It is to effort, and not the
nearer it is to capital. The tree is thick
est nearest the ground.
a strike illustrates the unity OF capital
and labor One week is 2 per centum OF
year. Suppose strike to continue two
weeks. Then, to recover the loss OF
earnings for that time, the strike must
secure an advance of 20 per centum in
wages for period of one year. No strike
has ever been known to do this. So that
to cease to labor is to cease to have
capital.
Labor and capital are but different
stages of the same existence. When a
boY of ten becomes man of fifty, he is
still the same indiVidu ], not somebody
else; so capital is only labor m&tured.
Employers give employment to en-
ployes, and employees to employers.
Each is Doctor to the other. The same
current of blood flows in both the arteries
and veins, although their courses are in
opposite directions, even as labor In con-
crete form of work or effort, may have
different function from labor in the form
OF surplus or capital
It is the oo]ect Of all intelligent wage
esrners to accumulate surplus-then why
should they be irate when they see those
who thsve succeeded III the very thing
they are trying themselves to do? The
successful ones get an example, LEAD the
way, show the path. Why should not
those seeking to accumulate profit by
the experience of hers instead of berat-
ing them?
1t is great blessing to any nation to
have large accommodations OF surplus labor.
II everybody and everything were in the
condition of work simply, and there
were no surplus that could be set to
work to aid the process Of increasing the
capital part of labor, how everything
would lsnguish, stsgnate and Gle! II
the only part Of tree was the sap,
where would be the fruit? And yet the
fruit is just as much part Of the tree
IS the bark, wood, sap or leaves. So is
capital Just as much part of labor.
AS bankers you are well accustomed to
surplus labor, called capital.
You represent steam in the boiler;
work, is steam in the cylinder. but both
are the same force.
You represent marble in the erected
pillar; work is marble in the quarry, but
both are the same material. You repre-
sent grain in the warehouse; work is
grain in the ear, but both are wheat.
Labor is wealth; wealth is capital,
therefore capital and labor are one.
The practical reflections that arise from
this truth are few and simple.
l. Every course OF action by employers
and employees that is in unison with
truth, will benefit both of those classes.
2. Whatever improves the employee
chespens the cost of employing him.
g.. Whatever increases production
and the numbers of employees tends to
increase the rate Of wages.
4. Poverty can no more be abolished
than wealth.
5. Land owned in severalty in fee
simple is mark of civilization, and to
confiscate land would reduce America to
the degraded condition of savage Africa.
6. Liberty should be fully enjoyed in
all trades and occupations for the support
Of mankind.
Commercial, industrial and financial
history fully support each of these six
propositions, and render unnecessary their
elaboration in this paper; and the bankers
of America have it in their power to dis
seminate them until their truth shall be
acknowledged by all classes.